Sentinels miss VCT Americas playoffs & chance at Masters Shanghai

Despite being crowned Masters Madrid champions, Sentinels have failed to make it to the VCT Americas playoffs, resulting in their disqualification from qualifying for Masters Shanghai.

After securing a spot in Masters Madrid alongside LOUD, Sentinels solidified their reputation as one of the top teams in the world. They continued to prove themselves by winning the entire event in March. However, upon returning home, Sentinels were unable to replicate their previous success.

Instead, the team ended Americas Stage 1 with a 3-3 record in the Alpha group, tying with NRG Esports for the bottom two spots. Although they had a 3-3 record, Sentinels still had a slight chance of reaching playoffs if certain conditions were met by the other teams.

In order to be eligible, Sentinels had to achieve a 2-0 victory against Furia, while NRG had to suffer a 0-2 defeat against both Evil Geniuses and 100 Thieves. Additionally, LOUD was required to defeat G2 0-2. These particular conditions caused doubt among many that Sentinels could succeed, but they came very close to achieving it.

i slept through the entire day so i missed everything BUThere is the last bit of hope for Sentinels playoff chances: pic.twitter.com/uyz4mZafZI

— willminder (@willminder) April 28, 2024

Ultimately, the team’s destiny was determined by the number of rounds played. Despite G2’s 2-0 victory, LOUD secured two additional rounds, as seen on their performance in the Champions Tour 2024 Americas Stage 1 regular season. This resulted in LOUD qualifying for the playoffs, while Sentinels and NRG were left to observe from the sidelines.

This implies that a team other than Sentinels will emerge victorious at Masters Shanghai, as they will no longer be participating. However, Sentinels will still have the opportunity to compete in Stage 2 and potentially qualify for Champions at the end of the year after Shanghai concludes.